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Ronaldo Nazario Weighs In On 'Furious' Lionel Messi Wanting To Leave Barcelona

Ronaldo Nazario Weighs In On 'Furious' Lionel Messi Wanting To Leave Barcelona

Messi is seriously considering his future with the Catalan giants.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Ronaldo Nazario believes Lionel Messi will not leave Barcelona this summer as he loves the club - despite being 'furious' right now.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently considering his future following Barca's humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

He has had private talks with new manager Ronald Koeman but was left angry when details of the chat were leaked by Spanish media.

However, former Blaugrana striker Ronaldo thinks Messi will still be at the Nou Camp when the transfer window closes.

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PA

"It's very unlikely that he'll be able to leave Barcelona at the moment, especially when there's a crisis of results," Ronaldo explained in a webinar per The Mirror.

"Messi is a reference for the team and, if I were Barcelona, I wouldn't let him leave in any situation.

"He has a great and strong relationship with the club and I don't think he'll stop being in love with the team."

Messi is entering the final year of his contract and is yet to commit his long-term future to the club.

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PA

Despite the uncertainty around his future, Koeman stressed last week that the 33-year-old will be a vital part of his squad.

"He's still got a contract and is still a Barcelona player," Koeman stated after being unveiled as manager.

"At this point I need to speak to him because he is the captain. We need to work with him and speak with various players. We need to make some decisions but in Messi's case I hope he stays with us.

"I don't know if I have to convince Messi [to stay], whether it's that or not. He is the best player in the world and the best player in the world you want in your team, you don't want him playing against you.

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PA

"As a coach I would love to work with Messi because he wins matches. If he's at the ability and level he has always shown I'd be more than happy for him to stay."

Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu echoed Koeman's sentiment in a recent club address and called Messi 'non-transferable.'

"Messi is untouchable and non-transferable," he told Barca TV. "He knows it, we all know it. But there are various non-transferable players like [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen, [Clement] Lenglet, [Nelson] Semedo, [Frenkie] De Jong, [Antoine] Griezmann, [Ousmane] Dembele... players we are counting on in the future."

Do you think Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona this summer?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Football News, News, Football, Barcelona, Transfers, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo, Ronald Koeman